Joseph e



(No Model.)

J. E. GHENETTE. SEWING MACHINE NEEDLE.

Patented Ma 3,1892.

A TTOR/VEYS UNITED STATES PATE T. OFFICE.

JOSEPH E. CHENETTE, OF J OHN STOWN, YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFv TO JAMES M. C. WALKER, OF SAME PLACE.

SEWING-MACHINE NEEDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 474,211 dated May 3, 1892.

Application filed September 10, 1891. Serial No. 405,268. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH E. CHENETTE, of

Johnstown, in the county of Fulton and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Sewing-Machine Needle, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in sewing-machine needles and in the needlexo bar for holding the needle; and the object of my invention is to produce a needle which may be easily secured in the needle-bar and which is constructed in such a manner that a person with poor eye-sight or trembling hands I 5 may easily thread it; also, to construct the needle so that it may be threaded by any person much easier than can the ordinary inachine-needle.

To this end my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described and claimed. f Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the needle as applied to the needle-bar, the needle-bar being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

verted sectional plan on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 a cross-section on the line 4 4 of Fi 1. Y

The needle 10 is shaped like the ordinary 3 5 machine-needle, but is split longitudinally, as

shown at 11, from the eye 12 to a point 13 adjacent to the upper end of the needle, the slit 11 extending through the needle near the center until it reaches a point adjacent to the needle-top, when it curves to one side, as best shown in Fig. l. The needle is constructed of spring metal, so that the two members of the needle will spring apart slightly at the top, as indicated by dotted lines in .Fig. 1.

5 The top solid portion 14 of the needle is secured in the needle-bar 15 by means of a thumb-screw 16 in the usual way, and the needle-bar is recessed near the bottom and on one side, as shown at 17, and in this re- 0 cess is pivoted a cam-lever 18, the handle of Fig. 3 is an enlarged inwhich is adapted to close against the needlebar, and as the lever is pivoted near one end, as shown at 19, the short end of the lever is adapted to press upon the needle 10, and the lever is located in relation to the slotted needle so that when turned up, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, its short end will press against the needle near the point where the slit 11 runs to one side, sothat the pressure of the lever will hold the two parts of the needle together, and thus form,practically, asolid needle. The lower end of the lever 18 is grooved tofit the needle, as shown in Fig. 4. The foot of the needle-bar is provided with a central transverse recess 20, as best shown in Fig.' 3, 6 which recess is arranged at right angles to the recess 17 and is somewhat wider than the needle is thick, so that a thread may be easily passed into the recess between its wall and the needle even when the needle is open.

To thread the needle, thelever 18 is turned down, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, thus permitting one member of the needle 10 to spring away from the body of the needle, as indicated by dotted lines in the same fig ure, and the slit 11 will be consequently opened at the top. The thread is then passed up into the recess 20, is pressed against the needle 10, and when it reaches the entrance to the slit 11 it will pass readily into the slit 8o and may be drawn down through the same to the eye 12. The lever 18 is .then turned up against the needle-bar, and its lower end presses the loose member of the needle back against the main portion of the same and the needle is ready for use.

From the foregoing desription it will readily be seen that by turning down the lever 18 any person may quickly insert the thread in the needle, and the needle may be fastened in the go needle-bar or removed therefrom as readily as a solid needle.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, with a needlebar having a radial recess, of a needle having a slit ext-ending from the eye to a point adjacent to its upper end, and a cam-lever pivoted in the said recess and having its lower end [00 grooved to fit the needle, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the needle-bar having a transverse recess in the bottom and 5 a radial recess opening therefrom, of the needle adapted to be held in the needle-bar, said needle having a slit extending from the eye to a point adjacent to the radial recess in the needle-bar, and a cam-leverpivoted in the la dial recess and adapted to impinge upon one 10 member of the needle, substantially as described.

JOSEPH E. OHENETTE. WVitnesses:

BENJ. SHURTLEFF, O. B. SEELEY. 

